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Subject: FAQ:PdoxWin:Printing to a named File:1999.12.01 Version 1.0 (1999.12.01) edited by Paradox FAQ Team Repost by Mike Irwin: 2001.02.10 ==================== 0. Introduction ==================== This FAQ addresses the problem of creating files from Paradox output. For example, the creation of files that are destined for export and use elsewhere. This FAQ is oriented towards users of Windows NT 4. I believe that it is possible to do the same thing in Win 9x, but Win 95 certainly doesn't make it apparent. ------------------------------- 0.1 Legal Info and Disclaimers ------------------------------- Paradox is a trademark of Corel. Borland Database Engine (BDE) is a trademark of Inprise. The information provided in this FAQ is provided "as is" and is not warranted in any way. The information provided in this FAQ is not endorsed or authorized by Corel or Inprise in any shape, form, or manner. The editors claim NO responsibility for ANY illegal activity regarding this file, or as a result of someone reading this file. You may distribute this file, as long as the copies are complete, unaltered, and are in electronic form only. ------------- 0.2 Feedback ------------- Please send feedback in a Corel Paradox newsgroup or the news:comp.databases.Paradox newsgroup to any of the FAQ Team mentioned in the "FAQ: FAQ FAQ" document. Please preface the subject of your post with the string "PDXWIN FAQ" to alert Team members to the function of the message. Please specify the FAQ name and section number the comment applies to, if any. ============================== 1. General Printer Information ============================== Windows systems provide logical "ports" to which an application like Paradox can print. Ports can equate to the three traditional printer ports, LPT1, LPT2, & LPT3. However, that's not all ! If you've ever installed software such as Corel Ventura Publisher, you may well have a port called "Barista". Adobe Acrobat (not the reader) will add "Acrobat PDFWriter" and "Distiller Assistant v3.01" (for that version). V3, Inc. produce a fax system for Windows NT, and that adds a port called "FAX32COMponent Printer", to which you print. You can create your own, too, and that's what you can take advantage of in order to make printing to disk simple. ======== 2. Why ? ======== Because you may want to produce a number of output files from reports without having to attend to Paradox all the time. The point of this is to automate the output function as much as possible. ========== 3. Example ========== This example takes the form of how someone can produce postscript report files for delivery to another person. -------------------- 3.1 Setting up the Printer Port -------------------- * Click the Start button * Select Settings | Printers * Add a local Printer * Click on "Add Port" * Select "local port" * Click on "New Port ..." * Enter a filename. For example, something like C:\ps\outputfile.ps (C:\ps must already exist). * Click on "Close" and you'll see that a port named C:\ps \outputfile.ps is present and selected in the port list. * Click on "Next" * Select the printer whose driver you want to use to generate the postscript. I happen to like Apple's output. There is absolutely no need to use a printer you have, or even one you have ever heard of ! However, if you can find out what printer it will be eventually printed on, you should definitely use a driver for that printer. Note. If you want to output colour, select a colour printer ! * Choose whether this should be the default printer or not. * Choose whether to share it or not * Finish with the Printer Installation wizard, and load a copy of your Win NT disk to provide the driver software. -------------------- 3.2. Using it from Paradox -------------------- You use the new printer port just as you would any other in Paradox. However, if you wish to produce multiple output files, you will need to write a small script. Lets assume that a table holds the names and some associated data to be used as criteria to obtain data which will then be printed to file. scan tcControlData: ;for each record in the control table... cmDoQuery(tcControlData) ;get the data for this record cmPrintReport() ;print the report to the new "printer" sleep(10000) ;wait for the printing to finish ;----give printout file new name execute("cmd /e rename c:\\ps\\outputFile.ps" + " " + "c:\\ps\\"+tcControlData."filename") endScan Paradox Community Newsgroups |
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